Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This scanner has a lot of potential, but fails to deliver.
I like the slim design and it scans reasonably fast; at least compared to what I have been use to. Also the see-thru design is a plus. At first I thought it rather gimmicky, but found out in scanning large maps and such it was a boon to getting a minimal but slight overlap between adjacent scans. Also this scanner does not mind being inverted, in fact it does not care which orientation it is in. Some desk top scanners do not like being inverted, if fact they jam!
Now the down side, on certain colors it scans alternating bands of light and dark exposure across the width of the image. Fourteen to be exact. It turns up on grey colors, ivory, off-whites; it is very distinctive on silver-gray. On full color pictures or typed documents it does not manifest. Playing with the exposure setting does not help if the banding is strong. Also if the image is not tight against the platen, this alternating light/dark pattern also occurs. According to HP advance tech support this is due to optimization for scanning colors in such a space saving scanner bar design.
The scanner has very poor depth of field. Other desktop scanners start to loose focus and the image darkens if the object being scanned gets further than a 1/4" from the platen. (Though you get some really bad parallax errors before that point!) With this scanner the image goes dark and the bands appear if the space is a mere 1/16". HP advance tech support has a document describing this issue but it pertains to scanning 3D objects. However for practical purposes it is a fault when you try to scan anything near the gutter of a book. If scanning maps or an atlas you need to under-pad the document so that it can conform and press tight against the platen. Any gaps between the document and platen will appear dark, the scanning lamp is underpowered.
You may have trouble getting the HP Director software to run with some computers from a very popular company, dude. Though it did work on other XP and Win98 machines I tried, so the fault seems to be certain installations/configurations of XP and not HP scanning software supplied with the scanner. I never did get it to launch on my computer and ended up having to scan via my image editing software using the TWAIN interface. Which was HP tech supports workaround. Once you get into the HP scanning application (via Director or TWAIN) the HP Scan interface looks like something designed for a UNIX workstation or Windows 3.11. Nowhere near as polished as other, even older HP scanning applications I have seen, downright primitive.
The third party panoramic software bundled is junk. I tried several photographs and then successively simpler images (line art, scanned typed documents) for it to stitch together and it never even came close to getting the images aligned. Even with the use of the manual 'assistance markers' it failed every time. Completely hopeless. I had hoped to make use of the OCR software but had so much trouble with the other issues I never got around to loading and trying it.
HP tech support will string you along if you have these exposure issues. Unfortunately I bought my 4670 when they first came out and there were no reviews yet posted. HP will try to tell you a self-powered USB hub is required. Don't believe it, if you have 200mA available at the USB port you have plenty and most new machines far exceed that; for example mine had 500mA (by the way HP was unable to tell me what the minimum USB port power requirement was for the scanner.) However I worked with HP outsourced tech support and tried all the different things they suggested like latest drivers and reloading the software and sent them test scans to examine. They replaced the scanner once, and were going to do so again, when I started to notice others were complaining of the same light/dark band issue. Finally they admitted it was in the design of the scanner and replacing it was not going to solve the problem. They did offer to buy it back, but since I what been so patient working with them the scanner was now considered used and I only got a partial refund. HP hardware used to be rock-solid, but this experience makes me wonder if they have not changed.
This scanner is priced as a premium unit. I did not find it delivered acceptable results. The support with this unit was friendly and patient, and usually one got through in a reasonably quick time. But it was not very knowledgeable about the product and offered inaccurate advice. Also the policy of only offering a partial refund after diligently working with their tech support on an issue that turned out to be an inherent fault in the design of the scanner I felt to be non-conducive to creating satisfied customers. They tell me it is policy, and hope I will consider buying HP products in future. I will consider long and hard before buying another HP scanner that is for sure!
D.Kephart
PA, USA
Click Here to see more reviews about:
HP ScanJet 4670 See-Thru Vertical ScannerJust when you thought scanning couldn't get any faster, crisper, or sleeker, along comes the new HP Scanjet 4670. This small but mighty scanner will revolutionize the way you think about scanning. Sized to fit in a drawer, briefcase, or even vertically on a bookshelf, yet versatile and durable enough to scan oversized and three-dimensional items, it's the perfect fit for a home office, family room, or college dorm.
Everyone can find a use for this handy machine. Be more productive by converting memos, blurry faxes, and other text documents into editable text using optical character recognition (OCR) software (no more retyping!). Scan photos and documents and instantly e-mail them to family and friends without a PC. Make a photo inventory of heirlooms or other valuables. Or scan negatives and slides using a transparency adapter to create an archive of your photos.
So how do you actually scan?
Give mobility a whole new meaning Now that you telecommute, your family room is more than a family room; it's your office. Space is a valuable commodity, so the slim HP 4670 scanner is an ideal fit in both form and function. Being able to scan oversized items has been a lifesaver for those drawings you frequently e-mail to the office for approval; especially because it's as simple as placing your scanner on the easel, scanning the drawing in sections, and letting the ArcSoft Panorama Maker software automatically and seamlessly "stitch" it together. One click of the Instant Share button and you mail the entire list of recipients at once.
When the workday ends, you place your scanner back on the bookshelf, where it's safe and out of sight. Best of all, if you absolutely must finish those presentation transparencies on a Saturday, the HP 4670 is as mobile as you are. Just grab your scanner, transparent materials adapter, and laptop, and head to your favorite quiet spot. Whether you're sitting on the floor or in an office, the unique Scanjet technologies (high-end color separation; accurate, flattened scanning bed; and lots of other automatic color-balancing, restoration, and enhancement features) give you professional, polished results … no matter where you are.
Get the whole picture One of the most fun and unique things you can do with your HP 4670 is create gorgeous panoramic photos (even 360° panoramas). Simply scan your image in sections and the Automatic Stitching feature in ArcSoft Panorama Maker software (included) will automatically reassemble oversized images for printing. You can combine horizontal, vertical, or tiled sets of images.
Save space The HP 4670 is so slim it fits on a bookshelf or in a briefcase. You can store it vertically, like a book, so it's perfect for a college dorm or a combined family room/office area. But don't let the ultra-thin design fool you: It's made to move around and take with you. We even drop-tested the scanner from three feet! So if a sibling riot erupts, triggering an accidental fall from the table, the HP 4670 will survive unscathed.
The windowpane is tough polycarbonate plastic and tempered glass to resist chipping, scratching, and breaking. (That's the same stuff used in many safety hardhats, motorcycle helmets, and riot shields.) The frame is secured with 12 screws (twice as many as most other scanners), and trimmed in rubber to absorb shocks. The carriage has a special mechanical design that protects the sensors and their wire bonds.
More features:
One-touch operation. Four-button design makes it easy to perform common tasks:
Scan
Copy
Instant Share
Power Save
Six-second-preview scan Get speedy confirmation of a successful scan! Precise image placement. Look through the see-through scanning window to "frame" and place items just where you want them.
Cross-platform adaptable The HP 4670 is Windows 98-, 2000-, Me-, XP-, and Mac-compatible.
Complete high-speed connectivity. Compatibility with USB 2.0 specifications allows plug-and-play installation of peripheral devices. Exclusive HP technology. Charge coupled device (CCD) scanning brings together an innovative combination of a new, thin optical system and CCD scanner technologies. CCD captures light more efficiently than other methods, and produces a grain-free print.
Sharpen up Resolution is a measurement in dots per inch (dpi) of the sharpness and clarity of an image. The HP 4670 has 2400-dpi optical resolution, producing crisp, clear, vibrant images. With 48-bit color, you'll also see clear photos with brighter yellows, richer reds, and cooler blues.
Scan anything The versatile HP 4670 can scan anything from books and photos to oversized items.
Variable orientation An easel comes with the scanner, so you can use it vertically, horizontally, face-up or face-down, for large format or hard-to-capture items. Slides and negatives. Attach the transparent materials adapter (TMA) to capture images from slides and negatives. Use the HP Memories Disc Creator and HP Instant Share software to create and send fun --digital photo albums -- to family and friends. (The software is included.)
Included Software The HP 4670 comes equipped with cool photo software already in place:
HP Photo & Imaging Software with HP Memories Disc Creator and HP Instant Share feature
HP Scanjet copy utility
Suite of electronic help tools
Adobe Acrobat Reader
ArcSoft Panorama Maker
IRIS ReadIris Pro (for Windows)
IRIS ReadIris (for Macintosh)
What's in the Box HP ScanJet 4670, transparent materials adapter, combined USB and power cable assembly, vertical holder, quick-start setup poster, user's guide, manual, CD-ROMs with software for Windows and Macintosh
Click here for more information about HP ScanJet 4670 See-Thru Vertical Scanner
